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Compare Guernsey (2008) - Costa Rica (2006)
Compare Guernsey (2008) z Costa Rica (2006)
| Guernsey (2008) | Costa Rica (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Castel, Forest, Saint Andrew, Saint Martin, Saint Peter Port, Saint Pierre du Bois, Saint Sampson, Saint Saviour, Torteval, Vale | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 14.8% (male 4,914/female 4,784)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 21,897/female 22,298) 65 years and over: 17.8% (male 4,955/female 6,725) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 28.3% (male 590,261/female 563,196)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,359,750/female 1,329,346) 65 years and over: 5.7% (male 108,041/female 124,667) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber |
| Airports | 2 (2007) | 157 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 32
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 9 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 125
914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 101 (2006) |
| Area | total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
total: 51,100 sq km
land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco |
| Area - comparative | about one-half the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Background | Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Guernsey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. | Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including: disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance by natives, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two and a half centuries. In 1821, Costa Rica became one of several Central American provinces that jointly declared their independence from Spain. Two years later it joined the United Provinces of Central America, but this federation disintegrated in 1838, at which time Costa Rica proclaimed its sovereignty and independence. Since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred the country's democratic development. Although it still maintains a large agricultural sector, Costa Rica has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism industries. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread. |
| Birth rate | 8.65 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 18.32 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $563.6 million
expenditures: $530.9 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $2.722 billion
expenditures: $3.195 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
| Capital | name: Saint Peter Port
geographic coordinates: 49 27 N, 2 32 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
name: San Jose
geographic coordinates: 9 56 N, 84 05 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands |
| Coastline | 50 km | 1,290 km |
| Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | 7 November 1949 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica
conventional short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica |
| Death rate | 10.07 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 4.36 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $5.049 billion (2005 est.) |
| Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission: Ambassador Mark LANGDALE
embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 519-2000 FAX: [506] 519-2305 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS
chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Hammond (temporary location in Louisiana), Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa (temporarily closed), Washington, DC consulate(s): San Francisco |
| Disputes - international | none | in September 2005, Costa Rica took its case before the ICJ to advocate the navigation, security, and commercial rights of Costa Rican vessels using the Río San Juan over which Nicaragua retains sovereignty |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
| Economy - overview | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance - account for about 23% of employment and 32% of total income in this tiny, prosperous Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Financial services, construction, retail, and the public sector have been growing. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the environment under which Guernsey operates. | Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large internal and external deficits and sizable internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica is the only signatory to the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that has not ratified it. CAFTA implementation would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 7.12 billion kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 115 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 50 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh | 7.726 billion kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
| Ethnic groups | UK and Norman-French descent with small percentages from other European countries | white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1% |
| Exchange rates | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)
note: the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound |
Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian MALBON (since 28 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Michael W. TORODE (since 5 March 2007) cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by States of Deliberation election results: Laurie MORGAN elected chief minister, percent of vote of the States of Deliberation NA |
chief of state: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (since 8 May 2006); First Vice President Laura CHINCHILLA (since 8 May 2006); Second Vice President Kevin CASAS Zamora (since 8 May 2006) cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010) election results: Oscar ARIAS Sanchez elected president; percent of vote - Oscar ARIAS Sanchez (PLN) 40.9%; Otto SOLIS (PAC) 39.8%, Otto GUEVARA Guth (PML) 8%, Ricardo TOLEDO (PUSC) 3%; note - official results pending the resolution of election challenges |
| Exports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables | coffee, bananas, sugar, pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment |
| Exports - partners | UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2006) | US 42.6%, Hong Kong 6.9%, Netherlands 6.4%, Guatemala 4.2% (2005) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross | five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
agriculture: 8.8%
industry: 29.9% services: 61.4% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2005 est.) | 5.9% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 10 00 N, 84 00 W |
| Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65 |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 36.8% (2002) |
| Illicit drugs | - | transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising |
| Imports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment | raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum |
| Imports - partners | UK; note - regarded as internal trade (2006) | US 41.3%, Japan 5.6%, Venezuela 4.8%, Mexico 4.8%, Ireland 4.3%, Brazil 4.2%, China 4.2% (2005) |
| Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 5.7% (2005 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, banking | microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 4.59 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (June 2006) | 13.8% (2005 est.) |
| International organization participation | UPU | BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | NA | 1,080 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Royal Court | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly) |
| Labor force | 31,470 (March 2006) | 1.82 million (2005 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 20%
industry: 22% services: 58% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 639 km
border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km |
| Land use | arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
arable land: 4.4%
permanent crops: 5.87% other: 89.73% (2005) |
| Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | Spanish (official), English |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; justice is administered by the Royal Court | based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral States of Deliberation (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote for four years); note - Alderney and Sark have parliaments
elections: last held 21 April 2004 (next to be held in 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents |
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 February 2006 (next to be held February 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLN 25, PAC 18, PML 6, PUSC 4, other 4 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 80.53 years
male: 77.53 years female: 83.64 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 77.02 years
male: 74.43 years female: 79.74 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama |
| Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,308 GRT/743 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 2 (2006) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police (2006) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $83.46 million (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.4% (2005 est.) |
| National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
noun: Costa Rican(s)
adjective: Costa Rican |
| Natural hazards | NA | occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes |
| Natural resources | cropland | hydropower |
| Net migration rate | 3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | refined products 242 km (2006) |
| Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Gerardo Justo OROZCO Alvarez]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Vladimir DE LA CRUZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First or PP [Juan Jose VARGAS Fallas]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Juan Carlos CHAVEZ Mora]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Restoration Party or PRN [Carlos AVENDANO]; Nationalist Democratic Alliance or ADN [Jose Miguel VILLALOBOS Umana]; Patriotic Union or UP [Humberto ARCE Salas]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]; Union for Change Party or UPC [Antonio ALVAREZ Desanti]; United Leftist Coalition or IU [Humberto VARGAS Carbonel] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert BROWN] |
| Population | 65,573 (July 2007 est.) | 4,075,261 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 18% (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.239% (2007 est.) | 1.45% (2006 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002) |
| Railways | - | total: 278 km
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge (2005) |
| Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.027 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.737 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available international: country code - 506; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 45,100 (2005) | 1,388,500 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 43,800 (2004) | 1.101 million (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002) |
| Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes |
| Total fertility rate | 1.4 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 0.9% (March 2006 est.) | 6.6% (2005 est.) |
| Waterways | - | 730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2005) |
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